


Paths of Discord

by ao_no_senshi



Series: Forks in the Road [2]
Category: Chouseishin Gransazer | Super Star God Gransazer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-12
Updated: 2010-06-12
Packaged: 2017-10-27 00:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/289595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ao_no_senshi/pseuds/ao_no_senshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With one of Wind Tribe found it should be a simple matter of clearing the air. Things aren't that simple, though, and the other Tribes aren't as forgiving as Makoto was expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paths of Discord

Makoto hesitated by the corner of the building that held Professor Horiguchi's lab, wondering if he should disturb the man leaning against the wall just around it. He'd managed to get Hakariya here but, well, the meeting hadn't gone as well as he'd expected and Dail had ended up out here. No, he reminded himself. Not Dail. Hakariya Jin. The Flame and Earth Tribes might rationally know that they needed the Wind Tribe but apparently the reality had turned out harder to deal with, at least for some.

He frowned and chewed on his bottom lip, weighing up his options. He could make his presence known and see where that took them, or he could leave Hakariya alone and work on Tenma and Go instead, seeing as they were being so damn stubborn about everything.

"I know you're there." Hakariya sounded tired, Makoto thought. Or resigned, maybe. "Might as well come out instead of lurking round there."

Taking a deep breath to brace himself, Makoto stepped round the corner to find Hakariya watching him warily from his casual slouch against the wall. It was only when the man relaxed marginally that he realised Hakariya had been expecting someone else. Leaning against the wall himself, a respectable amount of distance between them, Makoto hoped he was doing the right thing. His decisions so far today had turned out fifty/fifty, after all.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually. "I didn't think it would go that badly."

Hakariya shrugged. "It's fine. I wasn't expecting anything else."

Alright. Time to get a few things out in the open. "I don't like it when people lie to me," Makoto said conversationally. "Don't do that."

Hakariya turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised slightly in query.

"It's not fine," Makoto qualified. " _You're_ not fine. Don't try to pretend you are."

The only reply he got was a quiet huff of what could possibly be termed laughter if you were feeling generous, but at least it was something. "What do you want me to say?" Hakariya asked in the end. "It went pretty much like I thought it would."

"That doesn't make it right," Makoto replied firmly. "I said they'd be fine and I was wrong. If I'd realised it would go that badly I'd have done it a different way."

"Why do you care so much?" Hakariya asked, sounding confused. He was fluctuating between tense and relaxed, as if he was trying to make sense of everything in his head and reacting accordingly.

 _Because I said it would be fine and they made a liar out of me,_ Makoto thought. _Because everyone deserves a second chance when they screw up. Because you're a good guy who just trusted the wrong person and paid for it._ Any of those or all of them could be reasons, and to some extent they were, but they weren't _satisfying_ reasons, not ones Makoto could point to and say 'this is why I trust you'. "I don't know," he said eventually. "I can always let you know when I figure it out."

This time the laugh was a little more genuine. "See that you do," Hakariya said, pushing himself away from the wall and slipping his hands into his pockets. "I hate an unsatisfied curiosity."

Makoto grinned back and gestured away from the building. "Want to get away from here for a bit? I haven't eaten since this morning, I'm starving."

"Sure," Hakariya shrugged after a moment's pause. "Lead the way, Sorimachi-san."

Makoto winced. "Makoto," he said hurriedly. "Makoto is fine."

Hakariya hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Makoto it is."

Makoto wondered briefly if Hakariya would add that using his given name was fine, but when no such comment was forthcoming he shrugged mentally and decided he couldn't really blame him for not opening up right away. Maybe in time the other man would relax more around him and if all else failed he could always try setting Ai and Tappei on the guy, see how long Hakariya could hold out against all three of them. The Earth and Flame Tribes might have their issues, but the Water Tribe had no axe to grind with the Wind Tribe and he figured Hakariya needed all the allies he could get.

He wouldn't push, though, just take the small victories where he could and this, going out to grab something to eat together, was enough for now. They could work on everything else later.


End file.
